Tag: Wide body crossword clue

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Constructed by: Zachary David Levy
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Reveal Answer: A-Game

Themed answers sound like common phrases, but with an “A” sound added at the end:

• 37A Peak performance, and an apt title for this puzzle : A-GAME

• 17A Therapist’s questionnaire? : SELF SURVEY (self-serve + A)
• 30A Paper model of a wrinkly dog? : CARD SHAR-PEI (card sharp + A)
• 46A Empty cup at Starbucks? : VACANT LATTE (vacant lot + A)
• 64A Celebration that involves rowdy games of Twister, facetiously? : BODY PARTAY (body part + A)

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 11m 32s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Spielberg thriller based on a Benchley novel : JAWS

“Jaws” is a thrilling 1975 movie directed by Steven Spielberg that is based on a novel of the same name by Peter Benchley. The film has a powerful cast, led by Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw. “Jaws” was perhaps the first summer blockbuster and had the highest box office take in history up to that time, which was a record that stood until “Star Wars” was released two years later.

16 Mata __ : HARI

“Mata Hari” was the stage name used by Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, born in the Netherlands in 1876. After an unsuccessful and somewhat tragic marriage, Zella moved to Paris in 1903 where she struggled to make a living. By 1905 she was working as an exotic dancer and using the name Mata Hari. She was a successful courtesan, notably moving in various circles of high-ranking military officers. She apparently worked as a double agent, both for the French and the Germans. When Mata Hari was accused by the French of passing information to the enemy, she was tried, found guilty and executed by firing squad at the height of WW1, in 1917.

20 Peaceful greetings : SALAAMS

The word “salaam” is an Anglicized spelling of the Arabic word for “peace”. The term can describe an act of deference, and in particular a very low bow.

23 Father’s hermana : TIA

In Spanish, a “tia” (aunt) might be the “hermana” (sister) of your “padre” (father).

24 Sultanate on Borneo : BRUNEI

The official name of Brunei is the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace. Brunei is situated on the island of Borneo, almost completely surrounded by Malaysia. Brunei’s government is dictated by the constitution adopted in 1959, and is ruled by a sultan with full executive authority. The main language spoken in the country is “Melayu Brunei” (Brunei Malay), with the official language being Malay. Apparently Malay and Brunei Malay are quite different from each other, with native speakers finding it difficult to understand each other.

28 Loan fig. : APR

Annual percentage rate (APR)

30 Paper model of a wrinkly dog? : CARD SHAR-PEI (card sharp + A)

The shar-pei breed of dog is one with a wrinkly face and really dark tongue. The breed originated in China, with “shar-pei” being the British spelling of the Cantonese name.

A “card sharp” is someone who is skilled and deceptive with playing cards, particularly when playing gambling games like poker. It seems that the term “card sharp” predates the related “card shark”, both of which have the same meaning.

35 Nursery refrain : E-I-E-I-O

There was an old American version of the English children’s song “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (E-I-E-I-O) that was around in the days of WWI. The first line of the older US version goes “Old MacDougal had a farm, in Ohio-i-o”.

39 Members of Gil Grissom’s team, briefly : CSI’S

Gil Grissom, played by William Peterson, is the lead character in the original manifestation of the TV show “CSI”. His role as CSI supervisor was eventually taken over by Raymond Langston (Laurence Fishburn) and then D. B. Russell (Ted Danson). Peterson reprised the Grissom role in the sequel show “CSI: Vegas”.

43 Bygone airline whose first flight was from Key West to Havana : PAN AM

Pan American World Airways (usually just “Pan Am”) started out as a mail and passenger service between Key West, Florida and Havana, Cuba in 1927. From very early in the company’s life it was the de facto representative air carrier of the United States. For many years, Pan Am’s fleet was built around the Boeing 314 Clipper, a long-range flying boat that was one of the largest aircraft around at the time. Pan Am adopted the Clipper as part of its image, even using “clipper” as the call sign for its flights.

45 Whisky name : DEWAR

Dewar’s is a blended Scotch whisky introduced to the market in 1846 by John Dewar. Dewar’s White Label is the company’s most popular Scotch. It was first sold in 1899, and with a taste that is described as “heather and honey”. Dewar’s also makes some single malts, under the labels Aberfeldy 12 and Aberfeldy 21. Today, Dewar’s is owned by Bacardi.

46 Empty cup at Starbucks? : VACANT LATTE (vacant lot + A)

Starbucks introduced us to coffee drinks in a whole range of volumes:

• Demi … 3 fl oz
• Short … 8 fl oz
• Tall … 12 fl oz
• Grande … 16 fl oz (Italian for “large”)
• Venti … 20 fl oz (Italian for “twenty”)
• Trenta … 30 fl oz (Italian for “thirty”)

52 Daisy variety : OXEYE

Oxeyes are in the daisy family of plants. Also known as dog daisies or marguerites, the flowers of oxeyes feature white petals surrounding yellow disc florets.

53 “The Secret of Monkey Island” figure : PIRATE

“The Secret of Monkey Island” video game that first hit the shelves in 1990. It follows the misadventures of Guybrush Threepwood, a wannabe pirate who dreams of becoming the most fearsome buccaneer in the Caribbean.

55 Tinkering inits. : DIY

To tinker with something is to adjust or experiment with it. Back in the late 1500’s, “to tinker” was “to work as a tinker”. In those days, a tinker was someone who mended pots and pans.

62 Caffeine-rich nut : KOLA

The nut of the kola tree has a bitter taste, and is loaded with caffeine. Despite the taste, the nut is habitually chewed in some cultures, especially in West Africa where the tree is commonly found in the rainforest. Here in the US we best know the kola nut as a flavoring used in cola drinks.

64 Celebration that involves rowdy games of Twister, facetiously? : BODY PARTAY (body part + A)

Twister is a game requiring a lot of physical dexterity and flexibility. It involves players placing specific hands and feet onto colored pads on a mat, as directed by a spinning arrow on a board. Sales of the game got a great boost in 1966, when Eva Gabor played Twister with Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show”.

66 Old Testament book : AMOS

Amos is one of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible. The Old Testament’s Book of Amos is attributed to him.

67 Trial site : VENUE

A venue is a specified locale used for an event. The term “venue” came into English via French from the Latin “venire” meaning “to come”. So, a “venue” is a place to which people “come” for an event.

68 Chapeau spot : TETE

In French, on one’s “tête” (head), one might wear a “chapeau” (hat) or a “béret” (beret), perhaps.

69 403(b) IDs : SSNS

A 403(b) is a retirement savings plan that is available to specific groups, e.g. public education organizations and self-employed ministers.

70 Is really good, songwise : SLAPS

When someone says that a song slaps, they mean it’s excellent, awesome. It usually means that it has a strong beat or catchy rhythm, and perhaps makes you want to move. The use of “slaps” in this context might have originated as Bay Area hip-hop slang in the early 2000s.

Down

1 __ stick: incense : JOSS

A joss stick is a type of incense that is traditionally burned before religious images and shrines in many Asian cultures. The term “joss” comes into English via Portuguese from the Latin “deus” meaning “god”.

5 Figure at a reunion dinner : ALUMNA

An alumnus (plural “alumni”) is a graduate or former student of a school or college. The female form is “alumna” (plural “alumnae”). The term comes into English from Latin, in which an alumnus is a foster-son or pupil. “Alum” is an informal term used for either an alumna or alumnus.

7 Head, to a Brit : LAV

Our word “lavatory” (sometimes “lav”) originally referred to a washbasin, and comes from the Latin “lavatorium”, a place for washing. In the 1600s, “lavatory” came to mean a washroom, and in the 1920s a toilet.

10 “Evita” narrator : CHE

“Evita” was the followup musical to “Jesus Christ Superstar” for Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Both of these works were originally released as album musicals, and very successful ones at that (I remember buying them when they first came out). For the original album’s cast of “Evita” they chose Irish singer Colm Wilkinson (or C. T. Wilkinson, as we know him back in Ireland) to play “Che”, the narrator of the piece. In the movie adaptation, Che was portrayed by Antonio Banderas.

12 Bearish : URSINE

Something described as ursine is related to a bear. The term “ursine” comes from “ursus” (plural “ursi”), Latin for “bear”.

13 “The Karate Kid” mentor : MIYAGI

The 1984 film “The Karate Kid” starred Ralph Macchio in the title role, with Pat Morita playing the enigmatic karate teacher Mr. Miyagi. There is an excellent 2010 remake, starring Jaden Smith (Will Smith’s son) as the Karate Kid himself, with Jackie Chan playing the teacher. In the original 1984 movie, the Karate Kid was named Daniel LaRusso, and in the 2010 remake was named Dre Parker.

25 Aid for brainstorming : IDEA MAP

A mind map (also “idea map”) is a great tool (I think) for brainstorming. It’s a tree-like structure with a principal idea at the center and various trains of thought branching outwards. In fact, I used a mind map when I was first thinking about blogging, eventually deciding to focus on crosswords.

27 “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” singer : CROCE

“Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” is a song written and first performed by Jim Croce. It was a number-one hit for him in 1973. The song was inspired by a real-life Leroy Brown, who was someone that Croce met while serving in the US Army.

28 ET from the planet Melmac : ALF

“ALF” is a sitcom that first aired in the late eighties. The title character is a hand-puppet, and supposedly an alien named Gordon Shumway from the planet Melmac. The alien crash-landed into the house of amateur radio enthusiast Willie Tanner. Tanner renamed the intruder “ALF”, standing for “alien life form”.

31 City-building game franchise : SIM

SimCity is a very clever computer game. Players build and grow cities and societies by creating the conditions necessary for people (the Sims) to move in and thrive. SimCity was launched in 1989, and to this day it is consistently ranked as one of the greatest computer games of all time.

38 128 oz. : GAL

The name of our fluid measure called a “gallon” ultimately comes from the Medieval Latin term “galleta” meaning “bucket, pail”.

42 “Sold out” sign : SRO

Standing room only (SRO)

45 Carter of country : DEANA

Deana Carter is a country singer from Nashville, Tennessee. Carter’s first album was a big seller, and was called “Did I Shave My Legs for This?”

46 Bar shelf assortment : VODKAS

The distilled beverage vodka takes its name from the Slavic word “voda” meaning “water”, with “vodka” translating as “little water”.

47 Old saws : AXIOMS

A saw is an old saying, one that is often repeated and is very familiar. The term “old saw” is actually a tautology, as by definition a “saw” is “old”.

48 Sri Lanka, once : CEYLON

The island nation of Sri Lanka lies off the southeast coast of India. The name “Sri Lanka” translates from Sanskrit into English as “venerable island”. Before 1970, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, a name given to the country during British rule.

50 Familiar devices : TROPES

A trope is a figure of speech. The term “trope” comes from the Greek word “tropos” that has the same meaning. The term has evolved in meaning to also describe a common or overused device or theme.

57 “Well, duh!” shorthand : OBVS!

“Obvs” is slang for “obviously”.

58 Holiday time : NOEL

“Noël” is the French word for the Christmas season, and ultimately comes from the Latin word for “birth” (natalis). “Noel” has come to be used as an alternative for “Christmas carol”.